For the last two years I have released a summary and review of the books I read the previous year (here is the one for 2023 and then here is 2024's). 

I was pleasantly surprised by the feedback from people. 

The following are books I read in 2025. All kinds. You may or may not be interested in them. You may or may not like them the same way I did. 

Before you read the list, here are a few preface points:

• They are in the order that I read them this past year (roughly; it’s hard to be exact because I tend to read a few at a time).
  

• I rated each book on a scale of 1-5 stars. None of the books have only one or two stars, because if i’m not into a book within the first chapter or two, I stop reading it and move on.  
  

• I don’t read for long periods of time. Some of you may find this to be a huge list of books (although others may have read double or triple this past year). I think I read for an average of 30 minutes each day (apart from time I spend reading Scripture in the morning); maybe more on the weekends. I really don’t read for long periods of time; I just do it consistently. And many of these are audio books that I can listen to while running with the dog or cleaning the yard.
  

• All of them were at least 90% completed. 

My Book Reviews for 2025

Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story 

by Antonia Felix

4 stars

This was an inspiring biography that covered her early days in segregated Birmingham, Alabama all the way up to becoming Secretary of State. Whether you’re into books about politics, books about history, books about the underdog, or books about women succeeding in what was once considered a man’s career, this book is a good one.

The Civil War as a Theological Crisis 

by Mark A. Noll

3.5 stars

This was really fascinating. There were so many theological positions and justifications for slavery, as well as various theological positions against slavery. For example, some Christians used the Bible to argue against slavery, and some Christians argued against slavery despite what they believed the Bible taught. It was not just one side vs. another. 

My only issue with it was that there are so many references to so many different preachers and speakers and denominations of the era. Well-done, but almost too thorough to the point of being tedious. 

Profiles In Courage 

by John F. Kennedy

3 stars

I knew JFK authored books, but I never read them. So I decided to give them a shot. These “profiles of courage” were about senators who made decisions that Kennedy believed took a great deal of courage. Interesting read from a historical standpoint, but I didn’t find it super inspiring.  

A Nation of Immigrants 

by John F. Kennedy

4 stars

This was better, in my opinion. I read this in January, when executive orders were coming down about immigration. I thought it was really fascinating in itself, but also very timely.

It’s worth reading for anyone, but especially those who want a thought-provoking historical look at immigration.

On Account of Race: The Supreme Court, White Supremacy, and the Ravaging of African American Voting Rights

By Lawrence Goldstone

4 stars

This was a really good - but disturbing - book. It tells the story of what happened to the equal protection rights and voting rights of African Americans in the post-Civil War reconstruction era, and how the Supreme Court played a vital role in stripping those rights away. 

Important history. 

Wired to Create 

By Scott Barry Kaufman & Carolyn Gregoire  

4 stars

I had to read this book for a class. For most books I read for classes I only read the chapters assigned and no more, but this one was really good. 

From the Amazon description: “Revealing the latest findings in neuroscience and psychology, along with engaging examples of artists and innovators throughout history, the book shines a light on the practices and habits of mind that promote creative thinking. Kaufman and Gregoire untangle a series of paradoxes— like mindfulness and daydreaming, seriousness and play, openness and sensitivity, and solitude and collaboration – to show that it is by embracing our own contradictions that we are able to tap into our deepest creativity. Each chapter explores one of the ten attributes and habits of highly creative people.”

If you work in a creative field or are trying to find time for creative hobbies, check this out. 

The Measure of a Man: 20 Attributes of a Godly Man 

by Gene A. Getz

3.5 stars

My men’s life group read through this over the course of a few months. Some chapters were really well done and some chapters were so so. But overall, pretty theologically sound; it definitely sparked good discussions with the guys. 

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality

4 stars 

This was the third or fourth time that I read this book.

I would highly recommend it for anyone who has never read it, especially if you have experienced Christians who have bible knowledge but lack emotional maturity.  

And even more especially if you are one of those Christians. 

Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day: A 40-Day Journey With the Daily Office

4 stars

This is a daily devotional that walks through the themes of the above-mentioned book in eight weeks (there are two devotionals for five days each week).

I think this is a really good complement to anyone’s personal Bible study. 

The Inner Life of Abraham Lincoln: Six Months at the White House

by F.B. Carpenter

5 stars 

I have read many books about Abraham Lincoln, but this one could be my favorite. And that is not because the book is very well written, but because of who wrote it and when it was written. 

The author spent six months in the White House painting a portrait of Lincoln to celebrate the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

During that time, while working on the painting, he was given complete access to Lincoln - to the meetings he held, the parade of visitors, the time he took with his children, the decisions he made, and the stories he loved to tell. 

Every time I read it, I felt like I was going back in time. I loved it. 

Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation

By Collin Hansen

4 stars

This was sort of a biography about the late great preacher and theologian Tim Keller.

It covered his childhood days, his salvation, his call to ministry,  his first church assignment, and then his time pastoring Redeemer Presbyterian in New York City. 

It covered his wrestle with different streams of theological thought and why he landed in the reformed tradition.

It covered how he navigated 911, his battle with cancer, and his shortcomings as a leader.

I thought it was really good, but it’s definitely something that I wouldn’t expect everyone to get as much out of. 

Salmon P. Chase: Lincoln's Vital Rival

By Walter Stahr

3 stars

I've read about Chase in other books about the Civil War and about Abraham Lincoln, but never any books diectly about him. He was certainly a fascinating figure. Chase was a radical abolitionist, a lawyer who represented many blacks, a rival to Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election, Lincoln’s Secretary of the Treasury, and then a chief justice to the Supreme Court.

He lived quite a life. 

American Maelstrom: the 1968 Election and the Politics of Division

by Michael a Cohen

4 stars

I really liked this one. From the Amazon description: “American Maelstrom captures the full drama of the watershed election of 1968, establishing this year as the hinge between the decline of political liberalism, the ascendancy of conservative populism, and the rise of anti-government attitudes that continue to dominate the nation's political discourse. This sweeping and immersive book, equal parts compelling analysis and thrilling narrative, takes us to the very source of our modern politics of division.”

Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible

by Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

4 stars

Really short but powerful read. From the Amazon description: “How do you bring your deepest hopes, fears, and needs before God? How can the Psalms guide and enrich your daily walk with Jesus Christ? Bonhoeffer reveals that the Psalms are not just historical texts but the very prayers of Christ Himself. They provide a timeless model for your own heartfelt conversations with God, helping you move beyond routine to a vibrant, authentic prayer life. This book encourages you to embrace prayer as a source of strength, peace, and joy. It offers practical insights on praying honestly and openly, even when words are hard to find or emotions run deep.”

The Case For The Psalms

by N.T. Wright

3.5 stars

This truly is a case for why Christians need to read the psalms, how they are meant to help us breathe in truth and breathe out prayers. The more we read them, the more they shape us, and this book explains how. 

Lincoln's Gamble: The Tumultuous Six Months that Gave America the Emancipation Proclamation and Changed the Course of the Civil War

By Todd Brewster

4 stars

A really good one for anyone who loves history. From the Amazon description:  “On July 12, 1862, Abraham Lincoln spoke for the first time of his intention to free the slaves. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, doing precisely that. In between, however, was perhaps the most tumultuous six months of his presidency, an episode during which the sixteenth president fought bitterly with his generals, disappointed his cabinet, and sank into painful bouts of clinical depression. Most surprising, the man who would be remembered as ‘The Great Emancipator’ did not hold firm to his belief in emancipation. He agonized over the decision and was wracked by private doubts almost to the moment when he inked the decree that would change a nation.”

Grace Abounding To The Chief of sinners 

By John Bunyan

3.5 stars

The man who wrote the famous “Pilgrim’s Progress” wrote this autobiography in 1666. It’s a compelling story of his conversion, his struggle with doubt, his temptation to sin, the persecution he endured, and – most importantly - his journey of understanding of the lavish grace of God. 

But I think it could have been shorter. 

Religion in American Politics 

by Frank Lambert  

3.5 stars

I could not tell if the  author was himself a Christian, but the book was thought-provoking nonetheless. From the Amazon description: “The delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention blocked the establishment of Christianity as a national religion. But they could not keep religion out of American politics. From the election of 1800, when Federalist clergymen charged that deist Thomas Jefferson was unfit to lead a "Christian nation," to today, when some Democrats want to embrace the so-called Religious Left in order to compete with the Republicans and the Religious Right, religion has always been part of American politics.”

The Knowledge of the Holy: the Attributes of God & Their Meaning In the Christian Life 

by AW Tozer

4 stars

This is a classic book written by a legend. Each chapter covers a different attribute, like wisdom, grace, mercy, omnipresence, omniscience, etc.

It’s one of those books one should read slowly and then think deeply after each page.

Fight House: Rivalries in the White House from Truman to Trump

by Tevi Troy

4 stars

An inside look at how each administration had at least one major internal conflict amongst the ambitious staff. Sometimes they fought over something important and sometimes it was plain old selfish ambitionIt. It served as a reminder for me that even the most powerful people in the world can become slaves to their own egos – something we must all watch out for. 

Your God is Too Safe: Rediscovering the Wonder of a God You Can’t Control 

By Mark Buchanan 

4.5 stars

My men’s group read this together over the summer and fall months. Although the author uses bigger words than he needs to, and can be more poetic than some are used to, I really appreciate his honesty. I first read this book when I committed my life to Jesus - sometime around 2002 - and it played a big role in spurring me on to seek God and pursue him with both discipline and delight. 

10 Books that Screwed Up the World

4.5 stars

“From Machiavelli's The Prince to Alfred Kinsey’s Sexual Behavior in the Human Male, from Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto to Margaret Mead’s Coming of Age in Samoa, these 'influential' books have led to war, genocide, totalitarian oppression, the breakdown of the family, and disastrous social experiments. And yet the toxic ideas peddled in these books are more popular and pervasive than ever. In fact, they might influence your own thinking without your realizing it” (Amazon description).

Excellent book. I did not realize the author was a Christian until the end, where he brought it all together and showed the common thread through all the books.  

Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and the Wickedest Town in the Wild West 

by Tom Clavin

3.5 stars

One night I randomly had a dream about Wyatt Earp. I had not read anything about him in the last few years, had not watched any movie about him in almost 20 years, and yet he showed up in my dreams (weird, right?). I woke up thinking, “Maybe I should read a book about him.” So I did. 

It was good. Not great, but good. It definitely gives you an appreciation for the wild west and what it was really like. 

Coincidentally, within a few weeks after having that dream and starting this book, the movie “Wyatt Earp”” came out on Netflix and then a new documentary about the shoot-out at the O.K. Coral was released. Strange coincidence. 

The Wolves of K St.: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government 

By Brody Mullins and Luke Mullins 

4 stars

Another really good but disturbing book. It tells the story of multiple lobbying firms and the people who ran them. From the Amazon description: “In the 1970s, Washington’s center of power began to shift away from elected officials in big marble buildings to a handful of savvy, handsomely paid operators who didn’t answer to any fixed constituency…..With billions of dollars at play, these lobbying dynasties enshrined in Washington a pro-business consensus that would guide the country’s political leaders—Democrats and Republicans alike. A good lobbyist could ghostwrite a bill or even secretly kill a piece of legislation supported by the president, both houses of Congress, and a majority of Americans.”

If you want a book to make you more cynical about how Washington is run, read this one. 

Vietnam War: A Captivating Guide to the Second Indochina War

By A Captivating History 

4 stars 

A simple summary of all the factors that led to this dreadful war. It was thorough without being too bogged down in the weeds. And it moves fast. 

God’s Smuggler

By Brother Andrew and JOhn Sherrill 

5 stars

Definitely one of the best books I read all year. This was recommended to me by someone who I went to Israel with. This is an autobiography that reads partly as a testimony, and partly as a spy thriller.

It’s the true story of a Dutch man who grew up during World War II, fought in the military, came to faith in Jesus through a series of events, and then was called by Jesus to smuggle Bibles into communist countries.

The risks he took and the miracles God did are seriously very inspiring. 

I highly recommend it. 

Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day: A 40-Day Journey to Deeply Change Your Relationships

By Pete Scazzero 

4 stars

This was another devotional book by Scazzero - but this time with an emphasis on relationships with other people. I read this with a good friend and we talked about it each week. It sparked some great conversations - some between me and him, many between me and God.  

“Each devotional will reflect on emotionally healthy relational themes, such as: clarifying expectations, deep listening, clean fighting, and more” (Amazon description). 

The Progressive Era: A Captivating Guide to a Period in American History Filled with Political Reforms and Social Activism

by “A Captivating History” Group 

4 stars

This book covers America’s history between 1877 and 1929 - the end of the Civil War up through the Great Depression. It was a time of great social, economic, and political reform, which included women’s suffrage, child labor laws, the breaking up of monopolies, the defining presidency of Theodore Roosevelt, new inventions like the model T, and more. As much as I love reading history, I have not read much about this particular time.

I liked it. 

Take Heart: Christian Courage In The Age of Unbelief

By Matt Chandler 

4.5 stars

Solid theology and compelling writing. Chandler makes the case for courage and gives a practical picture of what it means and how it is different from the social and political outrage that feels like courage but is not. I always enjoy Matt Chandler’s books. 

I definitely recommend it

Seven Women: And the Secret of the Their Greatness

By Eric Metaxas

4.5 stars

This was better than I thought. Metaxas covers the lives of Joan of Arc, Susanna Wesley, Hannah More, Sister Maria of Paris, Corrie ten Boom, Rosa Parks, and Mother Teresa.  

There was so much I didn’t know about all of them, and I was inspired to read more about each one.

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That's it - the 30 books I read this past year. Maybe something in there will spark something for you. 

What were the best books - or worse books - you've read in 2025? Put in the comments below.